Machine for attaching metal tags to plug-tobacco or the like



Patented Mar. l4, I899.

W. H. BUTLER.

MACHINE FOR ATTACHING METAL TAGS T0 PLUG TOBACCO OR THE LIKE.

(Application filed Feb. 8, 1897.) (No mm.)

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N0. v621,220. Patented Mar. I4, 1899. W. H. BUTLER.

MACHINE FUR ATTACHING METAL TAGS T0 PLUG TOBACCO OR THE LIKE.

(Application filed Feb. 8, 1897.) (No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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W. H. BUTLER.

MACHINE FOR ATTACHING METAL TAGS T0 PLUG TUBACGO OR THE LIKE.

(Application filed Feb. 8, 1897.)

(No Model.)

6 Sheets--Sheet 3.

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No. 621,220. Patented'Mar. l4, I899. W.- H. BUTLER.

MACHINE FOR ATTACHING METAL TAGS T0 PLUG TOBACCO OR THE LIKE.

(Applicatibn filed Feb. 8, 1897.)

(No Model.)

6 sheets sheet 4.

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Patented Mar. l4, I899.

W. l'l. BUTLER. MAGHlNE FUR ATTACHING METAL TAGS T0 PLUG TOBACCO OR THELIKE.

A lication med Feb. 8, 1897.!

6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(No Model.)

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Patented Mar. 14, I899.

w. H. BUTLER. MACHINE FOB ATTACHING METAL TAGS T0 PLUG TOBACCO OR THELIKE.

(Application filed Feb. 8, 1897.)

6 ShaetsSheet 6.

(No Model.)

WVILLIAM H. BUTLER, OF HARRISON, NEW YORK.

MACHINE'FOR ATTACHING METAL TAGS T0 PLUG-TOBACCO OR THE LIKE.

srnciFIcAT'I'oN forming part of Letters Patent No. 621,220, dated March14, 1899.

Application filed February 8,1897. Serial No. 622,447. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it mtty concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Harrison, county of Vestchester, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for AttachingMetal Tags to Plug-Tobacco or the Like, fully described and representedin the followin g specification and the accompanying drawings, forming apart of the same.

In the preparation of plug-tobacco for' the market it has become usualto affix to each plug a small tag' of thin sheet metal by forcing intothe plug pointed projections or prongs on the tag. The present inventionhas been made in connection. with devising a machine for attaching tagsto tobacco in this manner, the object being to provide a simple andefiicient machine for doing this work; and the invention will beillustrated and described as applied to machines of this specific class,although many of the features of the invention are applicable also inattaching tags of other form and to other articles than plugs oftobacco.

For a full understanding of the invention a detailed description of amachine embodying all the features of the same in the preferred form asapplied to a machine for affixing tags to plug-tobacco and a modifiedform of machine of the same class will now be given, in connection withtheaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and thefeatures forming the invention will then be specifically pointed out inthe claims.

In the drawings, Figure. 1 is an end elevation of the preferred form ofa machine which both makes and attaches the tags. Fig. 2.is a plan viewof the same. Fig. 3 is a side elevation, looking to the right in Figs. 1and 2, with the walls of the pin g-holder partly broken away. Fig. at isa side view looking to the left in Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is across-section on the line 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a section on line 6 ofFig. 5, but showing the tag beneath plunger G. Fig. 7 is a detailsection on the line 7 of Fig. 5, showing the operation of bending theprongs. Fig. 8 is a detail section on the line 8 of Fig. 3. Fig. 9 is adetail view of the plugfeeder and support similar to Fig. 3, but showingthe parts in a different position. Fig. 10 is a detail view of thetag-strip successive feeding operation.

feeder. Figs. 11- to 15 show another machine in which previously-formedtags are used. Fig. 11 is an end view looking to the left in Fig. 12.Fig. 12 is a side view of the machine, looking from the left in Fig. 11,with the plugholder partly broken away. Fig. 13 is a vertical section onthe line 13 of Fig. 12, looking to the left. Fig. 14 is a plan view ofthe machine; and Fig. 15 is a detail similar to Fig. 12, but showing theparts in a different position.

Referring now especially to the machine shown in Figs. 1 to 10, upon thetop of the frame A, at one side, is mounted the holder 13, in which arepiled one upon the other the tobacco plugs 00, to which the tags are tobe attached. The holder B is open below, so that the bottom plug of thepile rests upon the table A at the top of the frame A, and this bottomplugw is advanced from the holder 13 along the table toward the front ordelivery end of the machine by a reciprocating plunger 10, moving inundercut groove-guides 1 in the table A and actuated intermittently byacam-lever 11, provided with a bowl running in a cam-groove a, formed inthe face of a cam-disk O, mounted in the frame A. The throw of theplunger 10 by thecam G and le- Ver 11 is substantially the length of aplug, so that the bottom plug is carried outside the holder by thefeeding movement of the plunger, and the row of plugs thus advanced inline from the holderbeneath a roller 12, which holds the plugs againstthe pressure of the tag-attaching plunger while the tags are being set,as fully described hereinafter, and the plugs, with attached tags,delivered at the end of the machine.

In feeding the plugs it is important that the weight of the pile ofplugs should not be supported by the bottom plug while the latter isbeing advanced, and I have shown a support acting to hold the pile ofplugs above the bottom plug while the latter is being fed out, thissupport in the form shown in the figures now being described acting toraise all the plugs except the bottom one on the return of thefeeding-plunger 10 after each This support 13 in the form shown consistsof a bar having its end beveled and carried by arms 14 on opposite sidesof the holder B and connected to the plunger 10, so as to move with thelatter, but at the opposite side of the holder B, so that as the plungeris advanced for feeding the bottom plug from the holder the supportmoves out of the holder and permits the pile of pin gs to fall from theposition shown in Fig. 3, sothat the bottom plug rests upon the plunger10, and on the return of the plunger for another feeding operation thebeveled end of the support 13 enters between the bottom and second plugs and raises the latter, with the pile of plugs above it, 01f thebottom plug, as shown in Fig. 9, the plunger then withdrawing from thebottom plug in its farther movement to the left from the position shownin Fig. 9, and on its full withdrawal the bottom plug is released andfalls down onto the table A into the position shown in Fig. 3, and isready to be fed out by the plunger, while the pile' of plugs above it issupported by the support 13.

On the opposite side of the machine from the plug-holder B are guides15, extending parallel with the movement of the plunger 10 and raisedsomewhat upon the level of table A, in which guides moves the strip Y,from which the tags y are formed. This strip Y is fed forwardintermittently the distance required to provide the material for theformation of a tag by means of pivoted grippers 16, arranged to grip thestrip as they move forward, but to slip upon the strip on their returnmovement, these grippers being carried by a stud 17, mounted on acam-lever 18,'provided with a bowl which runs in a cam-groove Z), formedin the rim of a ca1n-disk D, mounted on the main shaft S of the machine,the throw of the feeding-grippers 16 through the camdisk D and cam-lever18 being that required at each feed of the strip Y. The action of thegrippers in seizing the strip on their feeding movement and releasing iton their-return movement is secured in the construction shown byproviding the body of each gripper with an inclined slot at, these slotscrossing each otherand receiving the stud 17, the grippersthus beingcarried forward and rearward by the stud, while the movement of thelatter in one direction by acting upon the inclined walls of the slots ain front of the stud forces the grippers together to seize the strip Y,while the movement of the stud in the opposite direction by acting uponthe walls behind the stud tends to force the grippers apart and releasethe strip. It will be understood that any other suitable strip-feedingmechanism, such as rotating or oscillating feeding rolls or segments,may be used,

The portion of the strip Y from which the tag is to be formed isadvanced by the feeding mechanism just described beneath a punch E,mounted above the path of movement of the strip and coacting with a dieE below the strip. The punch E is carried by a head 19, movingvertically in grooved guides formed in standards 20 on the table A, and

this punch is actuated through bar 21,see'u red mac to the punch-head,lever 22, connecting-rod 23, and cam-lever 2i, this cam-lever carrying abowl, which runs in a cam-groove a, formed on the inner side of acam-disk F, carried by the main driving-shaft S, the throw of the punchE by the cam-disk F and connections being such as to cut a tag from thestrip Y and force it through the die E onto asupport 25,depressedfslightly below the surface of the table A, so that the tag,when advanced to proper position for attachment to the plug, will liebelow the latter.

In the construction shown the tags y are circular and provided with twoprongs, one at each side, by which they are attached to the tobaccoplugs. The punch E and die E, therefore, are circular in form and thepunch provided at opposite-sides with triangular projections 2, whichcoact with similarly spaced and formed grooves 3 in the die E to formthese prongs. It will be understood, however, that the tags may be ofoval or any other desired form and that a different number ofattaching-pron gs may be used, the punch and die being suitably variedin construction.

As formed by the punch E and die E in the construction shown the tagsare fiat, and the next step is the turning up of the prongs 4 at rightangles to the body of the tag, so that they may be driven into the plugsand the tags thus attached to the latter. For this purpose the tags withthe prongs flat are advanced edgewise along the support 25 to andbeneath a plunger G, which plunger forces the tags through a die formedin the table and made to fit the body of the tag closely, so that as thetags are thus forced through the die the prongs 4 are turned up. As theyare pressed through the die the tags rest upon a spring-pressed supportII, which yields to the pressure of the plunger G against the tension ofspring 20, coiled on the stem of the support, and this support followsthe plunger up on the return of the latter, so as to raise the tag againto the level of the support 25, with the prongs turned up and the tagthus fully formed. This enables a simple plunger to feed the tags bothto and from the plunger G. If this is not desired, it will be understoodthat the spring-pressed support 11 need not be used, but the tags simplyforced through the die by the plunger G onto a support at a lower level,from which they are advanced to the attaching-die.

In the construction shown the complete tag, with its prongs pointingupward, is advanced edgewise from the plungerG along the support 25 to apoint just below the pressure-roll 12, previously described, where thenext step'in the operation of the 1nachinethat is, the attachment of thetag to the plugis performed. The tags are advanced from the die E to theplunger G and from the plunger G to the attaching position beneath thepressure-roll 12 by a feeding slide or plunger 27, moving upon thesupport 25 and connected through a slot in the support to a slide 28,moving in side guides 5 in the table A below the support 25 and actuatedby a cam-lever 29, having a bowl running in a cam-groove (1, formed inthe outer face of cam-disk I, carried by the main shaft S, this cambeing formed so as to give the slide 28 and feed-plunger 27 two advancemovements and a full return to each rotation of the camdisk I, thefeed-plunger 27 thus being advanced to carry the tag beneath the plungerG, then resting while the prongs are turned up by the action of thisplunger and the tag returned again to position at the level of support25 by the spring-pressed support H, and the feeding-plunger 27 thenbeing advanced farther to carry the tag into position below thepressure-roll 12 and beneath the plug and thenyeturned to normalposition for the advance of another tag from the die E. The plunger G isactuated through its stem 30 bya lever31 and connecting-rod 32 and lever33, which carries a bowl running in a camgroove 6 in the outer face ofcam-disk F.

The means shown for forcing the prongs of the tags into the tobaccoplugs and thus attaching the tags are as follows: When the tag, with itsprongs 4 pointing upward, is advanced by the feeding-plunger 27 to theattachin g position beneath the tobacco plug and roller 12, the tagrests upon the top of a vertically-moving plunger K, the upper surfaceof which is substantially level with and fills an opening in the support25. This plunger- K is raised at the proper time to press the tagagainst the plug of tobacco beneath the roller 12, by which the liftingpressure of the plunger K is resisted, so as to force the prongs 4 intothe tobacco, and thus attach the tag to the plug, completing theoperation. The plunger K isreciprocated vertically for this purposethrough its stem 34 and a cam-lever 35, connected to the latter andprovided with a bowl running in a cam-groove f, formed on the inner faceof the cam-disk I.

The operation of the machine is clear from the drawings and'the abovedescription of the different parts and their action, so that. no furtherdetail description of the general operation of the machine is necessary.

While the construction above described embodies the invention in itsmost complete and preferred form, the tags being Wholly formed in themachine, many of the features of the invention may be embodied in anuachine in which the tags are wholly or partially formed prior to theirintroduction into the machine, and I have shown in Figs.'11 to 14another machine embodying the gen eral features of the invention inwhich the tags are out to proper form, with the prongs flat, beforetheir introduction into the machine, the machine acting only to turn theprongs at the proper angle to the body of the tags and attach them tothe plugs, the construction of the machine thus being somewhat simplitied. In this construction also are shown certain modifications infeeding and supporting devices for the tobacco plugs which may be usedin place of the devices for this purpose shown in Figs. 1 to 10 andpreviously described.

.. Referring now to the machine shown in Figs. 11 to 14, the sameletters'of reference are used for parts corresponding to those shown inFigs. 1 to 10, and the construction and operation of these parts will beclear from the above description, so that only a description of theparts of this machine which diHer from those previously described needbe given.

The general construction and arrangement of the plug-holder B are thesame as in the construction previously described except that differentmeans for feeding the plugs and for supporting the pile of plugs out ofcontact with the bottom plug while the latter is being fed out are used.In this construction the opposite walls of the holder B are slottedvertically above the line of feed of the bottom plug, and through theseslots work horizontally-pivoted levers 36, carrying at their upper endspins 6 and spring-pressed inward at their lower ends by springs 7. Thelevers 36 are inclined inward at their lower ends, where they projectwithin the holder 13, so as to form supports 9 for the tobacco plugs,and at their extreme lower ends below these supports carry rollers S,which rest upon the bottom plug x as the latter is being fed out of theholder. The plugs are advanced over the table A to the pressure-roll 12by feeding-belts 37, carmoving plunger K, as in the constructionpreviously described, the feeding-belts 37 being formed by two or morenarrow belts, as shown, or cut away so as to leave space through thebelts for the action of the plunger in attach ing the tags. The beltsare shown as carried by rolls 38, one of these rolls being a beltdrivenroll with its shaft 39, driven by beveled gears 40 from a vertical shaft41, which in turn'is driven through beveled gears 42 from maindriving-shaft S. of the machine. While the belts are shown as drivencontinuously, it will be understood that they may be drivenintermittently, if preferred, so that the plugs will be stationary whilethe tags are being attached. The operation of this plug supporting andfeeding construction is as follows: In the position shown in Fig. 12 thebelts 37, by a pair of the feeding-fingers engaging the rear end of thebottom plug, are

'just feeding the bottom plug out from beneath the pile of plugs in theholder B, when the pile of plugs is supported above the bottom plug byresting upon the supports 9 on the levers 36, the rollers S resting uponthe bottom plug, and thus holding the levers from being thrown out bythe weight of the plugs against the pressure of springs 7. As the IIObottom plug is fed out, so that the rolls 8 are released, the lower endsof the levers 36 are forced out by the weight of the pile of plugs, butat the same time the inner ends of the levers 36 are forced inward, soas to press the pins 6 into the second plug with such force as to get ahold sufficient to support the second and upper plugs,while the bottomplug,which previously rested upon the supports 9 of the levers 36, ispermitted to drop between the rollers S and onto the table A in positionto be advanced by the belts 37 as shown in Fig. 15, the rollers 8 andlevers 36 then being returned by the springs 7 as the bottom plug passesbelow the rollers 8, so as to release them, this movement of the levers36 withdrawing the pins 6 from the next plug and allowing the pile ofplugs to fall onto the supports 9 of the levers 36, the parts thus beingreturned to the position shown in Fig. 12. If desired, it is obviousthat the pins 6, or suitable wedges equivalent thereto, may be arrangedto enter between the second and third plugs instead of being forced intothe ends of the plugs, as shown and above described.

In the construction now being described the tags 3 are piled verticallyin a magazine L, mounted above the support 25, this magazine beingprovided with slots or grooves 43 at opposite sides, forming guides forthe prongs 4:, so that the tags are thus kept in proper position toreach the support 25, with the prongs lying in the same direction, andthe bottom tag is advanced from the magazine by the plunger 27 and alongthe support 25 to the plunger G, with its prongs lying in properposition,the subsequent operations being the same as in the machineshown in Figs. 1 to 11.

It will be understood that many modifications may be made in theconstruction and arrangement of devices shown without departing from theinvention, and I am not to be limited to the form or arrangement ofdevices in either of the machines illustrated.

\Vhat I claim isl. The combination with means for ad vancing plugs oftobacco or similar articles, of prong bending mechanism, tag attachingmechanism, and means for advancing thetags edgewise to the prong-bendingmechanism and from the prong-bending mechanism to the tag-attachin gmechanism, substantially as described.

2. The combination with means foradvancing plugs of tobacco or similararticles,of stripfeeding mechanism, tag cutting, forming and edgewise-feeding mechanism, and tag-attaching mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a machine for attaching pron ged tags to plugs of tobacco andsimilar articles, the combination of prong-bending mechanism,tag-attaching mechanism, and means for advancing the tags edgewise fromthe prongbending mechanism to the tag attaching mechanism, substantiallyas described.

4. In a machine for attaching pronged tags to plugs of tobacco andsimilar articles, the combination of prong-bending mechanism,tag-attaching mechanism, and means for advancin g the tags edgewise tothe prong-bending mechanism and from the prong-bending mechanism to thetag-attaching mechanism, substantially as described.

5. In a machine for attaching pronged tags to plugs of tobacco andsimilar articles, the combination of strip-feedin g mechanism,tageutting mechanism, prongbending mechanism, tag-feeding mechanism, foradvancing the tags edgewise from the tag-cutting mechanism to theprong-bending mechanism, and tag-attaching mechanism, substantially asdescribed.

6. The combination with a holder forplugs of tobacco or similararticles, and means for feeding the bottom article from said holder, ofmeans for raising the second and upper articles from the bottom articleand for supporting the second and upper articles out of contact with thebottom article as the latter is fed out of the holder, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination with aholder for plugs of tobacco or similararticles,,and means for feeding the bottom article from said holder, ofmeans for raising the second and upper articles from the bottom articleand for supporting the second and upper articles out of contact with thebottom article as the latter is fed out of the holder, feeding mechanismfor advancing pronged tags, and attaching mechanism for forein g theprongs into the articles to attach the tags, substantially as described.

8. Areciprocatingfeeding-plunger arranged to feed the bottom one from apile of articles, and a support arranged to raise the second and upperarticles from the bottom article and to sustain the upper articles outof contact with the bottom article While the latter is being fed frombeneath the pile, and permit the next article to move into feedingposition for the next movement of the plunger, substantially asdescribed.

9. A reciprocating feeding-plunger arranged to feed the bottom one froma pile of articles, and a support moving with the plunger and acting toraise the second and upper articles from the bottom article during thereturn of the plunger and to support the second and upper articles outof contact with the bottom article while the latter is being fed frombeneath the pile, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a magazine for a pile of articles, offeeding-plunger 10, and support 13 moving with the plunger and mountedto withdraw from the magazine as the plunger is advanced for feeding outthe bottom article and to return to the magazine above the bottomarticle as the plunger is withdrawn, substantially as described. l

11. The combination with means for advancing plugs of tobacco or similararticles, of a pressure-roller on one side of the path of the plugs, anda reciprocating tag-attaching plunger on the other side of said pathopposite the roller, substantially as described.

12. The combination with a guide, and a pressure-roller, of means foradvancing plugs of tobacco or similar articles along said guide andbetween the guide and the pressureroller, and a tag-attaching plungerreciprocating through an opening in said guide opposite the roller,substantially as described.

13. The combination With strip feeding mechanism, of punch E and die Efor cutting tags from said strip, support 25 below the die, andtag-feeder 27, substantially as described.

14. The combination with strip feeding mechanism, of punch E and die Efor cutting tags from said strip, support 25 below the die, tag-feeder27, prong-bending plunger G, and tag-attaching plunger K, substantiallyas described.

15. The combination with strip feeding mechanism, of punch E and die Efor cutting tags from said strip, support 25 below the die, tag-feeder27, pron g-bending plunger G Working through a die in the support,springpressed support H, and tag-attachin g plunger K, substantially asdescribed.

16. The combination with support 25, of a prong-bending die in thesupport, tag-feeder 27, pron g-bendin g plunger G Working through thedie in the support, spring-pressed support H, and tag-attaching plungerK, substantially as described. v

17. The combination with support 25,0f tagfeeder 27, prong-bendingplunger G, and tagattaching plunger K, substantially as described.

18. The combination with prong-bending plunger G and a die coactingtherewith, of means for advancingv tags to the die transversely to thedirection of movement of the plunger and for advancing them from thedie, and spring-pressed tag-support H, substantially as described.

19. The combination with tagattaching plunger K, of prong-bendingplunger G, and feeding mechanism for advancing tags to the plunger G andfrom the plunger G to the plunger K, substantially as described.

20. The combination with tagattaching plunger K of pron g-bendingplunger G,springpressed tag-support H, and tag-feeder 27 having a doublemovement for advancing a tag to the plunger G and from the plunger G tothe plunger K, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM H. BUTLER.

Witnesses:

JOSIAH T. ONEIL, JAMES RHETT.

